Cabinet Spokesman Chou Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman Chiang Pin-kun's (江丙坤) 10-point agreement with Chinese officials may have been illegal.
"Chiang may have violated Article 113 of the Criminal Code and Articles 5-1 and 33-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例)," Chou said.
Chou made his remarks during a press conference after the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday.
Violators of Article 113 of the Criminal Code face a jail sentence of seven years to life. For the two articles of the Act Governing Relations Between Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, violators face a potential sentence of no more than five years.
On Tuesday the Presidential Office, Cabinet and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) headquarters came up a "seven-point agreement" which reaffirmed Taiwan's policy toward cross-strait relations.
"We did not change our policy at all," Chou said. "The `seven-point agreement' is only a clearer statement of it."
When he heard about the "seven-point agreement" yesterday morning, KMT Chairman Lien Chan's (
In response to Lien's comment, Chou urged Lien not to make light of the will of the Taiwanese government and people.
"We will strictly enforce the laws and protect the legal rights of Taiwanese citizens," Chou said. "There is no question about that."
Meanwhile, Minister of Justice Morley Shih (施茂林) confirmed that an anonymous plaintiff has filed suit against Chiang regarding his "10-point agreement" with Chinese officials, so prosecutors have officially begun their investigation.
Chou once again said that the government will not interfere with any private meetings or trips to China. However, any contract or agreement between Taiwan and a foreign government must be authorized by the government before it is signed.
Chiang yesterday said in response that he is not concerned, because he did nothing wrong.
"I believe what I did is in accordance with the law," he said. "I will squarely face whatever means the government uses against me."
Chiang said that his party took the initiative to lay down the foundation for a cross-strait agreement and work out technical problems, and is willing to let the DPP government take the credit. While his effort was criticized by the DPP government as unauthorized collaboration with the Chinese Communist Party, Chiang said that he thinks of it as "collaboration between [Taiwan's] governing and opposition party."
"The government should encourage cooperation between the governing and opposition parties instead of thwarting or criticizing it," he said, adding that his party will continue its efforts to improve cross-strait relations and the nation's economy.
(additional reporting by Ko Shu-ling)
also see story:
Define China as foreign country: lawmaker
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned